Okami English-version Impressions

We sat down with Capcom and took a peek at the English-localized version of Okami to see what, if anything, has changed from the Japanese version, as well as how the English text is coming along. We also went knee-deep into the menus to learn more about the items and get a better picture of all the numerous side quests the game has to offer.

First things first, the English-language game is identical to its Japanese counterpart, except for the text. This is no small undertaking, as the wordy Okami required 1,500 pages of text to be translated into English. This is perhaps the reason, as many have been wondering, for the length of time between the release of the two versions (the Japanese game came out in April of this year). From what we saw of the English text, the time looks like it's being well spent. There's a lot of dialogue, so the characters do tend to go on a bit, but it doesn't seem to have been translated literally. There are little bits of slang splattered throughout (depending on the character) and different types of emphasis within the text to evoke emotion, in lieu of having voiced dialogue in the game. The characters still feature the same Animal Crossing-esque mumbling found in the Japanese version, and while it's coherent enough to imply tone in some spots, its presence otherwise is simply to give the game more flavor.

The premise behind Okami is that you control a wolf god named Amaterasu, who is technically gender-free, but since she's a nature god, the developers have taken to referring to her as female. Though the game is a work of fiction, many of the spirits and situations you encounter are derived from Japanese myths, so familiarity with them might help you progress through the story, but it certainly isn't required.

Though there is a main story, which consists mostly of you helping local villagers and restoring light and beauty back to the world, there are a ton of side objectives, which help to give this game its depth and length. We're not certain how long the finished game will be, but it seems like it's going to be significantly longer than a traditional game of this genre. The main story progression that we got to witness was a boss battle against a giant spider. Though Amaterasu has standard attacks with her reflecting shields and rosary-bead whip, the game's distinguishing mechanic, the celestial brush, was crucial to this fight. At any point during the game, you're able to press a button that will flatten the surface and reduce it to minimal lines and a sepia hue, giving it the appearance of being a painting. You can then use a brush, which you control with the analog stick, to draw different items on the screen. The brush techniques, which you unlock by playing through the game, are used to solve puzzles and, as we noted in this fight, can also be used in combat. We'll leave the specifics of the fight vague, but note that several different techniques were employed, meaning that you'll have to use your head in the fighting sequences, as well as with the puzzles.

Beating this boss gave us access to the Snarling Beast, an upgraded reflecting shield that Amaterasu can use in two different ways. Equipped in the main weapon slot, the reflector shield sends enemy attacks back at them, and in the secondary slot, it's a plain old shield. Different weapons are featured differently in these two slots, and you can switch them around on the fly, enabling you to customize the way in which you fight.

Though the story seems to be a substantial part of the game, there is a lot of other stuff to do in the environment. Since the premise has you protecting all things nature from death and darkness, you are, understandably, intended to rescue plants and animals in the environment. For example, you'll need to use the celestial brush to heal dying trees. You'll dig up patches of light in the ground to reveal four-leaf clovers and feed animals that are lethargic and hungry.

The money that you acquire in the game can be used to purchase different items to help you accomplish all this. Some items boost up your basic defenses, but others can be used to buy seed bags, which you can then feed to animals, making them happy and healthy. With the animals happy, you gain a certain amount of praise, which is what is needed to make any god a successful god, and praise can be used in turn to increase your health meter, ink meter, astral purse size, or money-carrying limit. Though we're not certain yet what 100 percent completion of the game will do for you, it seems like there's going to be quite a lot to explore and do, giving you a fair amount of replay value. Even the loading screens can generate items for you. As the game loads, you can fill up the screen with footprints, and if you get a certain amount, you'll acquire a blue fang, which can also be used to acquire items.

Getting to see Okami in English has us further intrigued by this unique game. It seems like there's going to be quite a lot to do, and the mechanics and graphical style are quite unlike any other game out there. We'll continue to keep tabs on this game until its release later this year and will bring you more information about it as we receive it.